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the eighth day

March 08, 2005

New monkey discovered

Australian scientists discovered a new species of monkey in Bolivia's Madidi National Park in 2002, and have auctioned off the naming rights in order to raise money for its protection. The auction sold the rights for $US650,000.

That we can still be finding new species in the world is amazing, given the advances in technology and science over the last century, particularly in light of the comment of Charles Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. Office of Patents in 1899, when he stated "Everything that can be invented has been invented. It is a call to openness: to recognise that we do not know all that is to be known, and still have much more to discover.

The scientists were concerned that the blonde monkey might be named "Parishiltoni"....